Scottish Executive

Agrimoney

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to Her Majesty's Government concerning the take-up of EU agrimonetary compensation for Scottish farmers.

Ross Finnie: As agrimoney payments must be made on a UK-wide basis, I have raised the matter with my counterparts in the other UK administrations. I strongly supported the case for payment both in principle and on practical grounds. However, the decision to pay or not is a reserved matter and can only be made by the UK Government who took the view that further agrimoney expenditure could not be justified, bearing in mind the many competing demands on the public purse.

  Since 1997 Scottish farmers have received agrimoney compensation worth some £140 million, including £30 million in 2001-02.

Autism

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to fund and encourage improvements in the diagnosis and assessment of autistic spectrum disorders, in particular focusing on a multi-agency assessment which addresses the holistic needs of every child and adult.

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made since 1999 to date in funding and encouraging improvements in the diagnosis and assessment of autistic spectrum disorders.

Mr Frank McAveety: The importance of multi-agency assessment for pupils with special educational needs is encouraged and promoted in Circular ED 4/96 Children and Young Persons with Special Educational Needs - Assessment and Recording and in the Manual of Good Practice in Special Educational Needs , both of which are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. numbers 4386 and 3984). The Scottish Executive is currently reviewing the assessment and recording process and consultation events are being held to further develop the outline proposals for change, published in February.

  Further improvements in the diagnosis and assessment of autistic spectrum disorders may be proposed by the National Initiative for Autism Screening and Assessment, whose findings will be considered by the Scottish Executive later this year.

Autism

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the retention of ring-fenced special educational needs budgets to allow funding to be directed at the appropriate provision for children with autism.

Cathy Jamieson: Provision for the education of children with special educational needs, including autism, is currently supported by the Scottish Executive through grant aided expenditure to local authorities. In addition, specific grant allocations are made and I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25859 today, where these specific grant programmes are detailed.

  The Scottish Executive's programme expenditure is being reviewed across the board in the context of 2002 Spending Review but there are no plans at present to end the above specific grants.

Autism

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to implement guidelines on autistic spectrum disorders by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network and, if so, when these guidelines will be made available.

Mr Frank McAveety: Work on this will be taken forward in the context of the Public Health Institute for Scotland's Autistic Spectrum Disorders Needs Assessment Report .

Autism

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to implement a national training strategy for all professionals and carers working with those diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder.

Mr Frank McAveety: NHS Education for Scotland will bring a strategic, multi-disciplinary approach to education and training for staff in NHSScotland. Similar work will be carried out by the Scottish Social Services Council in relation to social work. I also refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-26039 on 30 May 2002.

Autism

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when a report will be made available to the Parliament on the mapping exercise carried out by the Scottish Society for Autism.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Scottish Executive has no plans to issue a report on the mapping exercise carried out by the Scottish Society for Autism. Information from the exercise will be distributed widely as part of the national service network recommended by The same as you?

Autism

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the National Initiative for Autism Screening and Assessment model will be implemented nationally.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Scottish Executive will give careful consideration to the findings of the National Initiative for Autism Screening and Assessment when they are published later this year.

Autism

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to fund independent advice and advisory services for parents and carers of those diagnosed with (a) autism and (b) Asperger's Syndrome.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Scottish Executive recognises the importance of advocacy in enabling people to access information they need and to make informed choices about their care.

  We announced in February further support for developing independent advocacy by establishing the Advocacy Safeguards Agency and the Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance.

Care of Elderly People

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any proposals to safeguard clients of home care services in relation to health and safety issues.

Mr Frank McAveety: The intention is that care at home services will be regulated by the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care from next year; and inspected against regulations and the National Care Standards developed and published by the Scottish ministers.

  Health and safety is a reserved matter. However, the commission will expect care service providers to demonstrate that they are complying with all appropriate legislation, including health and safety.

Central Heating

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been (a) invested in and (b) set aside for the central heating installation programme; what cost-benefit analysis was made of this investment package; who conducted any such analysis, and what the outcome was.

Ms Margaret Curran: £21 million was spent on the programme in 2001-02. The budgets for 2002-03 and 2003-04 are £30 million and £40 million respectively. The budget for the two years 2004-05 and 2005-06 will be announced later in the summer when the Executive publishes its spending plans for that period. Additional resources, which cannot be quantified at present, will come from fuel companies.

  The benefits of installing central heating in dwellings which lack it have long been established. They accrue to the household which receives central heating and to the taxpayer. Warm homes can lead to better health. In particular they can reduce the likelihood of cold and dampness related illnesses and the incidence of excess winter deaths. This in turn reduces demands on the health service. Warm homes are less likely to suffer from condensation dampness and so central heating helps maintain the condition of the housing stock. When central heating is coupled with insulation it can lead to lower energy consumption, hence lower fuel bills. Central heating therefore tackles fuel poverty. Lower energy consumption reduces emissions of greenhouse gases, principally CO2, and so helps combat the threat of climate change.

  Before the central heating programme was introduced our research showed that the households to benefit were mainly on low incomes and so would not have been able to install central heating themselves. The precise benefits, and their extent, will differ between households and cannot easily be quantified on an individual basis. But, taken as a whole, the benefits of the central heating programme are likely to far outweigh the cost.

  We have commissioned research linked to the central heating programme. One project will determine the extent to which beneficiaries of the programme have been taken out of fuel poverty. Another will examine health impacts. Reports on both projects will be published. We will also be publishing an annual report.

Cities

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the boundaries of Dundee City Council, and, if so, when it plans to announce any such review.

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Cities Review team has considered possible changes to the boundaries of Dundee City Council and, if so, what these changes are.

Ms Margaret Curran: Dundee City Council has raised the issue of their boundary in the context of the Cities Review. The Cities Review is examining the economic, social and environmental well-being of Scotland's cities. It is not a boundary review. The report of the Cities Review will be published later this year.

Cities

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the outcome of the Cities Review will be presented to the Parliament.

Ms Margaret Curran: Later this year.

Cities

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made by the Cities Review team.

Ms Margaret Curran: The draft Cities Review Report will be presented to Cabinet before the summer recess.

Courts

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the report into the refurbishment of Peebles Sheriff Court.

Mr Jim Wallace: The report into the refurbishment of Peebles Sheriff Court will be available to interested parties once a conclusion on this matter has been reached.

Courts

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the cost of repair and refurbishment of Peebles Sheriff Court is in the order of £1 million and, if not, what the figure is.

Mr Jim Wallace: Yes, the cost of repair and refurbishment of Peebles Sheriff Court is estimated to be in the order of £1 million.

Courts

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who prepared the report on the refurbishment of Peebles Sheriff Court.

Mr Jim Wallace: The report on the refurbishment of Peebles Sheriff Court was prepared for the Scottish Court Service by Keppie Design, Architects, in partnership with Currie & Brown, Quantity Surveyors, White Young Green Consulting Engineers and Melville Dundas, Contractor.

Domestic Abuse

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the inaccuracies in the figures on abuse against women used in its recent campaign have resulted in any videos sent to schools being withdrawn and whether it will give an assurance that no videos using this information will be shown in any school.

Ms Margaret Curran: There is no inaccuracy that we are aware of in the estimate that one in five women experience threats or force from a partner during their lifetime, which was used in the recent campaign. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) did, however, rule that this statistic did not justify the inference that one in five women lived with a "constant threat" which was made in some of the campaign material. All local multi-agency partnerships on domestic abuse have been informed of this ruling. They have been requested to ensure that the new wording approved by the ASA, which is "A recent survey suggests that one in five women in Scotland will experience domestic abuse within their lives", is provided in any situations in which the Executive's domestic abuse advert is used.

Environment

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6545 by Susan Deacon on 26 June 2000, what progress has been made by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate in addressing the effects of exposure to organophosphate poisoning.

Malcolm Chisholm: In December 1999 the UK Government announced its four-point plan on organophosphates (OPs). This included funding a comprehensive series of research studies into areas of uncertainty that had been identified in the 1999 report from the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment. The first of these studies - commissioned by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - is due to report its findings later this year.

Epilepsy

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a national framework for epilepsy in the light of the recent revised guidelines on information by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN).

Mr Frank McAveety: The Scottish Executive has no current plans to introduce a national framework specifically for epilepsy but is working towards the development of managed clinical networks which will help improve services for this condition. The SIGN guidelines, currently being revised, will further inform the diagnosis, treatment and care of people with epilepsy.

European Commission

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which of the basic public services listed in the annex to the European Commission communication, e-Europe 2002: Impact and Priorities , fall within its responsibilities.

Peter Peacock: The public services listed in the annex to the European Commission communication, e-Europe 2002: Impact and Priorities which fall within the Scottish Executive's responsibilities are as follows:

  Application for building permissions (planning and building control)

  Declaration to the police (e.g. in case of theft)

  Certificates (birth, marriage): request and delivery

  Health related services (e.g. interactive advice on the availability of services in different hospitals; appointments for hospitals)

  Submission of data to statistical offices

  Environment-related permits (incl. reporting)

  Public procurement

  Local authorities have statutory responsibility for public libraries. Enrolment in higher education/university is, in Scotland, the responsibility of the universities and colleges themselves. There is no compulsory requirement in the UK to notify central government of a change of address, and the UK is not therefore measured against this target. These services therefore do not feature in the above list.

  All other services on the list are reserved with the exception of "Job search services by labour offices" which is reserved, subject to some exceptions. The exceptions are specified in section H3 of Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998.

Fire Service

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the capital grants made to each fire brigade in each of the past 10 years also expressed as per capita sums.

Dr Richard Simpson: It is not possible to detail the capital made available to each fire brigade in each of the past 10 years as, prior to 1997, most Fire Boards were funded through the general capital consents for regional authorities.

  The following table shows the capital allocations made between the financial years 1996-97 and 2002-03.

  


Fire Authority


1996-97
(£000)


1997-98
(£000)


1998-99
(£000)


1999-2000
(£000)


2000-01
(£000)


2001-02
(£000)


2002-03
(£000)




Central


785


1,358


1,875


880


673


884


1,590




Grampian


1,790


1,457


1,361


1,658


2,276


2,200


1,616




Highland and Islands


1,467


1,485


1,576


2,162


2,325


2,980


2,740




Lothian and Borders


1,682


2,343


2,234


1,989


1,848


3,363


4,050




Strathclyde


4,600


6,025


5,789


5,768


5,781


7,460


8,451




Tayside


1,429


1,123


1,041


1,215


1,270


1,328


2,012




Fife


852


826


777


972


869


952


906




Dumfries and Galloway


585


515


479


488


475


583


555




  A breakdown of population by fire authority area is not available for the past 10 years. HMCIFS does publish an estimated population figure as part of his annual report and where this is available a "per capita" figure has been produced and is detailed as follows.

  


Fire Authority


1996-97


1997-98


1998-99


1999-2000


2000-01




Central


2.86


4.94


6.79


3.17


2.42




Dumfries and Galloway


3.95


3.48


3.26


3.30


3.25




Fife


2.43


2.37


2.23


2.82


2.48




Grampian


3.39


2.74


2.59


3.18


4.35




Highland and Islands


5.24


5.27


5.65


7.75


8.33




Lothian and Borders


1.96


2.73


2.54


2.29


2.09




Strathclyde


2.01


2.63


2.55


2.54


2.55




Tayside


3.64


2.85


2.67


3.12


3.27

Fire Service

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the fire and safety regulations for youth hostels and similar temporary accommodation.

Dr Richard Simpson: The Executive's Policy Paper, The Scottish Fire Service of the Future was launched by the Deputy First Minister on 29 April. It contains some 28 recommendations including a number relating to the importance of fire safety and enforcement. At the end of the consultation period on 30 July we will be considering how to take the recommendations forward including the need for new legislation on fire safety.

Genetically Modified Crops

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what scientific evidence, and from which sources, would be required for it to bring a halt to current field trials of genetically modified crops in Scotland.

Ross Finnie: Scientific evidence that might lead to the withdrawal of a consent and thereby the termination of a current farm scale evaluation of genetically modified crops may be presented to the Scottish Executive from any source. The Scottish Executive would take expert advice on the credibility and relevance of any such evidence which would have to demonstrate that the release of these crops on their respective sites would represent a threat to the safety of human health or the environment. Scottish ministers have consistently stated that if they were satisfied that scientific evidence demonstrated such a threat to either human health or the environment they would withdraw consent.

Housing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24436 by Ms Margaret Curran on 16 May 2002, what issues in respect of Glasgow City Council's housing stock transfer in relation to compliance with EU laws are under investigation and what the nature of the investigation is.

Ms Margaret Curran: A number of implied challenges have been made suggesting that the Glasgow housing transfer will not comply with competition or procurement law. The investigation involves ascertaining all of the potentially relevant facts and relevant law and consideration of whether these may have any substance.

Housing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24436 by Ms Margaret Curran on 16 May 2002, when the investigation into the transfer of Glasgow City Council's housing stock transfer in relation to compliance with EU laws will be completed; whether this investigation will affect the timescale for the transfer, and what impact the investigation will have generally.

Ms Margaret Curran: It is not possible at this stage to give a specific indication, either when the investigation will be complete or what the possible consequences might be.

Housing

Mrs Lyndsay McIntosh (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget provision is for housing repair and improvement grants in the current and future financial years and how much has been spent in the current year.

Ms Margaret Curran: Since April 1996 the amount set aside for improvement and repair grants has been for each local authority to determine. No expenditure figures are yet available for the current year, 2002-03. The latest confirmed figure available for expenditure on statutory and discretionary grants for housing across the whole of Scotland is £38.944 million for 2000-01. Most of this expenditure is on improvement and repair grants, although some other grants are included in the category.

Joint Ministerial Committee

Mr John McAllion (Dundee East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the membership is of the Joint Ministerial Committee on poverty; when the committee has met, and when its next meeting will be.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive is represented on the Joint Ministerial Committee on poverty by the First Minister and the Minister for Social Justice. The committee has met twice as detailed in the answer given to question S1W-22478 on 12 February 2002. We are not aware of any plans to hold a meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee on poverty in the immediate future.

Justice

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what form of housing tenancy a security-tagged offender would be entitled to.

Mr Jim Wallace: Electronic monitoring does not have a direct effect on an offender's housing entitlement. The court is required to request a social work assessment of the suitability of the place of restriction and information as to the attitude of persons likely to be affected by the enforced presence of the offender. If the social work assessment shows that the offender does not have accommodation, it is likely that the court will consider imposing a different sentence.

Justices of the Peace

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all Justices of the Peace, including any declared party political affiliations, broken down by local authority area.

Mr Jim Wallace: There are over 3,800 Justices of the Peace in Scotland. The pro forma used to recommend someone for appointment as a justice asks for a statement of that individual's political views, if known, so that the local Justice of the Peace Advisory Committee may avoid making recommendations for appointment to ministers that would result in a disproportionate number of justices of any one party in that commission. It would not be appropriate to publish the information provided in response to this question since the individuals concerned have not been asked for permission to do so.

  Some justices are members of local Justice of the Peace Advisory Committees and, since these are non-departmental public bodies, the appointment procedures must comply with the UK Commissioner for Public Appointments' Code of Practice. The code requires that all non-executive appointees to public bodies must be asked to declare whether they have been politically active in the five years prior to their appointment. Details of those members who have declared political activity are included in the list published recently in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 20841).

  Some justices are local authority councillors appointed ex officio by their council. However, an effect of the Bail, Judicial Appointments etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 is that councillors may be appointed only as signing justices, that is, they may not sit on the bench of the district court.

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many responses to its consultation paper, Draft Land Reform (Scotland) Bill expressed (a) support for, and (b) opposition to, the provisions in Part 3 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill for the compulsory purchase of salmon fishings, and which bodies expressed such support or opposition.

Ross Finnie: All the non-confidential responses to the consultation on the draft Land Reform (Scotland) Bill are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre. The consultation was not a referendum on any particular bill provision but rather sought views on the bill as a whole. Most considered responses were qualitative in nature and did not express outright support or opposition to any particular proposals.

Lifelong Learning

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21239 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 16 January 2002, whether the Memorandum of Understanding between Scottish UfI Ltd and the National Grid for Learning has now been finalised.

Iain Gray: The National Grid for Learning and Scottish UfI Ltd are in the process of finalising a Memorandum of Understanding.

Local Government Finance

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made, or will make, a sensitivity analysis of any or all PFI/PPP projects in order to examine whether different assumptions on risk allocation would lead to different value for money conclusions.

Mr Andy Kerr: Sensitivity testing is a key element of the current methodology for assessing value for money. Detail is given in Treasury Taskforce Technical Note No.5 How to Construct a Public Sector Comparator a copy of which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre.

Local Government Finance

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an up-to-date list of the public sector capital projects involving private finance which have (a) been completed and are (b) planned and (c) under way, giving both the start and estimated completion dates; what the estimated capital investment is for each project; what the annual public expenditure to service each project is in both cash and real terms for each year of the life of each project, and what the total lifetime cost of each project is both individually and by sector, in both cash and real terms.

Mr Andy Kerr: An up-to-date list of all currently active projects known to the Executive showing, amongst other things: operational, on-going and potential projects; the estimated capital value, and estimated annual expenditure aggregated by sector is available from the Parliament's Reference Centre.

NHS Staff

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to recruit, train and retain professionals such as speech and language therapists, educational psychologists and occupational therapists in autistic spectrum disorders.

Mr Frank McAveety: It is the responsibility of each trust, as the employer, to recruit appropriately and to ensure that individuals have the training required to provide effective patient care.

  Core clinical training for professionals such as speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and clinical psychologists encompasses autistic spectrum disorder. Continuing Professional Development provided locally by trusts for the treatment of specific conditions will differ according to local needs.

  NHS Education for Scotland will bring a strategic multidisciplinary approach to education and training for staff in NHSScotland providing a useful overview in many contexts including autistic spectrum disorders.

  Guidance on family friendly policies including flexible working, childcare, breast-feeding and career breaks has been issued to NHSScotland as part of the new Staff Governance Standard.

  In addition, the Scottish Executive will shortly be issuing a Strategy for the Allied Health Professions which will address recruitment and retention at a strategic level and play into the proposals already announced earlier this year for workforce development.

  With regard to Educational Psychologists the Scottish Executive is increasing both the level of support available to each trainee educational psychologist, and the number of training places available. Scottish Executive support in this area will total over £1 million each year. Trainee educational psychologists cover autism in their training and once in post have opportunities to update their knowledge through Continuing Professional Development.

National Insurance Contributions

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has taken any steps to quantify the impact on jobs of proposed increases in National Insurance contributions.

Mr Andy Kerr: No. The Executive does, however, look at the overall prospects for the Scottish economy, including the labour market, on an on-going basis.

  We are aware of the concerns of some companies regarding the National Insurance changes, but there were an array of measures to encourage enterprise in the budget, including reforms to reduce corporation tax and to reduce the burden of VAT for small businesses. We are confident that the overall impact of the budget is strongly supportive of Scottish enterprises.

National Insurance Contributions

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to alleviate any potential increase in council tax charges to make up for the rise in National Insurance contributions by local authorities.

Mr Andy Kerr: As part of the Spending Review 2002, we are looking with COSLA at the future funding requirements for local government, taking into account all relevant cost pressures. We will announce the outcome of the Spending Review, including local government allocations for the next three years, later this year.

Nature Conservation Bill

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24525 by Allan Wilson on 18 April 2002, what it means by "as soon as possible" in respect of publishing a draft Nature Conservation Bill.

Allan Wilson: As the First Minister announced on 30 May, we intend to publish a draft Nature Conservation Bill by March 2003. We will also bring forward amendments to the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill, in order to implement our proposals on custodial sentences and enhanced powers of arrest ahead of the main bill.

Police

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25060 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 May 2002, what estimates it has received from police forces of the costs associated with retirements in future years, broken down by year and force.

Mr Jim Wallace: Police forces, via the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, have indicated that they expect total pension costs to increase by an estimated £8 million in 2003-2004, a further £15 million in 2004-05 and a further £28 million in 2005-06. These estimates will be reviewed as further information becomes available.

Police

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce civilian support officers to assist in a front-line capacity the crime detection and prevention duties of serving police officers.

Mr Jim Wallace: We have no plans for community support officers with police powers to undertake neighbourhood patrols along the lines recently proposed south of the Border. However, the Executive has provided funding under the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund for a pilot to explore the use of neighbourhood wardens in part of Paisley. The role of these wardens, who will be employed by Renfrewshire Council and work closely with Strathclyde Police, will be to observe and report incidents with the aim of reducing vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to the PricewaterhouseCoopers Financial Review of Scottish Prison Service Estates Review , what (a) the risk, (b) the base cost, (c) the impact or overrun threatened, (d) the probability of occurrence, (e) the financial impact calculated and (f) the net present value at 6% are for each risk mentioned in the public service comparator between pages 19 and 24 of that document.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Net Present Value (NPV) of each risk was not calculated in isolation in the PSC model. However, the NPV of each category of risk was calculated using a 6% discount rate and may be summarised as follows:

  


Risk Category


Total Cash Value Real (£000)


NPV (£000)




Site Planning and Construction Risk


19,294


17,802




Facility Risks


34,329


15,458




Strategic Risks


21,031


8,327




Total


74,654


41,587




  The detailed information in respect of each risk identified in the document in cash value real terms is as follows:

  


PwC Report Reference


Base Cost (£000)


Impact


Probability


Cash Value Real Impact
(£000)




2.7.1.1


883


> 25%


80%


176




2.7.1.2


200


n/a


90%


180




2.7.1.3


100


n/a


100%


100




2.7.1.4


250


n/a


80%


200




2.7.1.5


6,935


3 month delay


90%


6,242




2.7.1.6


n/a


n/a


n/a


n/a




2.7.1.7


112,657


15% uplift in costs


30%


5,070




2.7.1.8


900


n/a


40%


360




2.7.1.9


1,067


2 week delay


60%


640




2.7.1.10


n/a


n/a


n/a


n/a




2.7.1.11


112,657


10% uplift in costs


30%


3,380




2.7.1.12


1,500


n/a


70%


1,050




2.7.1.13


n/a


n/a


n/a


n/a




2.7.1.14


112,657


1% uplift in costs


10%


113




2.7.1.15


50


n/a


100%


50




2.7.1.16


6,935


3 month delay


25%


1,734




2.7.2.1


57,150


10% uplift on costs


25%


1,429




2.7.2.2


145,870


10% uplift on costs


25%


3,647




2.7.2.3


n/a


n/a


n/a


n/a




2.7.2.4


n/a


n/a


n/a


n/a




2.7.2.5


5,013


Years 2, 12 and 22 of the operational phase


70%


3,509




2.7.2.6


429,067


10% uplift on costs


60%


25,744




2.7.3.1


n/a


n/a


n/a


n/a




2.7.3.2


n/a


n/a


n/a


n/a




2.7.3.3


n/a


n/a


n/a


n/a




2.7.3.4


15,327


Years 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 of the project


100%


15,327




2.7.3.5


11,408


n/a


50%


5,704




2.7.3.6


n/a


n/a


n/a


n/a

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to the PricewaterhouseCoopers Financial Review of Scottish Prison Service Estates Review , what (a) the number of staff, (b) the grade of staff and (c) the wages and wage-related costs are for each year of operation in the prison model to which the public service comparator relates.

Mr Jim Wallace: (a) Five hundred and forty-five.

  (b) The model does not separately identify grades.

  (c) The labour and labour related costs in cash value real terms are as follows:

  


Year


PSC Comparison(£000)




1


0




2


6,752




3


16,910




4


16,355




5


15,142




6


15,292




7


15,444




8


15,597




9


15,752




10


15,908




11


16,066




12


16,225




13


16,386




14


16,549




15


16,713




16


16,879




17


17,046




18


17,215




19


17,386




20


17,559




21


17,733




22


17,909




23


18,087




24


18,267




25


18,448




26


18,631




27


18,816

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to PricewaterhouseCoopers Financial Review of Scottish Prison Service Estates Review , whether it will provide charts showing cashflow over the two years of construction and 25 years of operation for each model of the public sector comparator, for the Private Build Private Operate model and for each model of the Private Build Public Operate option.

Mr Jim Wallace: Year


PSC Funding
(£000)


PSC Comparison
(£000)


PPP Private Build Private Operate
(£000)




1


95,785


82,530

 



2


60,452


53,026

 



3


28,871


28,052


18,128




4


25,370


25,107


18,128




5


23,677


23,396


18,128




6


23,902


23,603


18,128




7


27,718


26,975


18,128




8


24,811


24,469


18,128




9


24,753


24,411


18,128




10


24,947


24,604


18,128




11


25,403


25,060


18,128




12


30,939


30,152


18,128




13


25,539


25,195


18,128




14


27,168


26,823


18,128




15


25,944


25,599


18,128




16


26,150


25,804


18,128




17


36,401


35,565


18,128




18


26,568


26,221


18,128




19


26,781


26,433


18,128




20


27,295


26,946


18,128




21


27,212


26,863


18,128




22


35,478


34,587


18,128




23


27,966


27,616


18,128




24


29,284


28,933


18,128




25


28,103


27,751


18,128




26


36,012


35,659


18,128




27


32,835


31,884


18,128




  Separate cashflows were not calculated for the Private Build Public Operate models as these were compiled by reference to the PSC and Private Build Private Operate models.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to the PricewaterhouseCoopers Financial Review of Scottish Prison Service Estates Review , what formula was used by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the calculation of net present value, detailed in full.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The net present value calculation was made using the formula as follows:

  Net present value of the stream of cashflows = CF1/(1+r)1 + CF2/(1+r)2 + CF3/(1+r)3…..CFN/(1+r)N

  Where:

  CF = Cashflow in the period

  r = Discount Rate

  N = Last period in the stream of cashflows

  The stream of cashflows is expressed in cash value real terms, i.e. net of inflation. The net present value (NPV) calculation has been calculated on the basis of the cashflow occurring at the end of the time period in question. Discount rates of 6% and 5% were applied to the cashflows to derive the NPVs.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to the PricewaterhouseCoopers Financial Review of Scottish Prison Service Estates Review and the table of private prison prices in paragraph 3.3, page 27, whether it will state the real cash value of each of the prisons mentioned, calculated in the same way as those shown for the public sector comparator in chapter 2.

Mr Jim Wallace: Prison


Cash Value Real
(£000)




Altcourse


504,824




Parc


543,657




Lowdham Grange


280,004




Kilmarnock


269,429




Ashfield


247,303




Forest Bank


402,633




Rye Hill


314,749




Dovegate


490,518




  The cash value real figures have been calculated by determining the equivalent annual cash value real balance which, if discounted back to Cash Value Real would give a NPV equal to the figure provided by Her Majesty's Prison Service. This calculation assumes a 6% discount rate, a 25 year operating concession and a two-year construction period.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to the PricewaterhouseCoopers Financial Review of Scottish Prison Service Estates Review and the table of private prison prices in paragraph 3.3, page 27, whether it will detail for each prison the formula used to calculate net present value and the assumptions made in each calculation.

Mr Jim Wallace: Her Majesty's Prison Service provided the net present values (NPVs) as at the contract date for each prison in England and Wales. PricewaterhouseCoopers used the following methodology to calculate the NPV figures:

  NPVa = [((NPVh/Lk) x (1 + (GWIn-GWIs)/GWIn)) + ((NPVh/NLk) x (1 + (TPIn-TPIs)/TPIn))]/(C x D)

  Where:

  NPVa = The net present value per prisoner place year

  NPVh = The net present value of the specific PPP Private Build Private Operate prison as provided by Her Majesty's Prison Service (HMPS)

  Lk = The labour element of the NPV, determined from the analysis of the labour/non-labour split per the HM Prison Kilmarnock PSC.

  GWIn = The General Wage Inflation index at the PSC base date as provided by the National Statistics Office

  GWIs = The General Wage Inflation index at the date of financial close for the specific PPP Private Build Private Operate prison as provided by the National Statistics Office

  NLk = The non-labour element of the NPV, determined from the analysis of the labour/non-labour split per the HM Prison Kilmarnock PSC.

  TPIn = The BCIS All-in TPI index at the PSC base date.

  TPIs = The BCIS All-in TPI index at the date of financial close for the specific PPP Private Build Private Operate prison.

  C = The number of years of the concession.

  D = The number of prisoner places per HMPS figures.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the staff establishment has been in the Scottish Prison Service estates department in each of the last 20 years.

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average number of staff employed in the Scottish Prison estates department has been in each of the last 20 years.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Historical information is not available. Currently 34 staff are employed in Estates Development.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Prison Service staff have been registered with the Architects Registration Board in each of the last 20 years.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Historical information is not available. Currently four staff are registered with the Architects Registration Board.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Prison Service staff have been members of the Institution of Structural Engineers in each of the last 20 years.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Historical information is not available. Currently no staff are members of the Institute of Structural Engineers.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Prison Service staff have been members of the Institution of Civil Engineers in each of the last 20 years.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Historical information is not available. Currently one member of staff is a member of the Institute of Civil Engineers.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the last structural survey of the buildings at HM Prison Peterhead was commissioned given the statement in the Scottish Prison Services Estates Review that "the buildings are exhausted".

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  Full structural surveys, which are expensive, are not normally commissioned unless indications from visual inspections, settlement or other problems indicate that they are necessary. A visual survey was carried out in August 1994 to ascertain the extent of the problem of rain penetration through the numerous cracks in the mass concrete walls. This survey also included investigation of external wall foundations at four locations. We do not believe a full structural survey now is necessary or would be good value for taxpayers money, as we already know that the cells are too small for integral sanitation; there is no access to night sanitation; there is no electrical power in cells or in cell fire detection system; the windows are below SPS security standards and non-compliant with the current building regulations in terms of daylight factor and natural ventilation, and site services for electricity, gas, water and drainage are at full capacity, indeed at times overloaded, or in need of replacement. The term "state of exhaustion" is a brief summary of the factors which make the current accommodation not in our view fit for purpose.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25569 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 May 2002, why no breakdown was provided of the performance points accrued by the operating company of HM Prison Kilmarnock under sections 2.1(i), 2.2(a), 2.2(b), 2.4(a), 2.4(b), 2.4(c), 2.4(d) and 2.4(e), and whether the answer provided is in accordance with section 1.1(d) of the Scottish Ministerial Code which requires ministers to be as open as possible with the Parliament, detailing the reasons behind its response on the matter.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Question S1W-25569 asked for the performance points to be broken down for each heading. The question did not refer to sub-sections and was answered in accordance with section 1.1(d) of the Scottish Ministerial Code.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25569 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 May 2002, how many prisoners were released in error from prisons operated by the Scottish Prison Service in each of the last five years, broken down by prison.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The information requested is given in the following table:

  


 


1997-98


1998-99


1999-2000


2000-01


2001-02




Aberdeen


0


0


0


0


0




Barlinnie


3


2


2


0


1




Castle Huntly


0


0


0


0


0




Cornton Vale


0


0


0


0


1




Dumfries


0


0


0


0


0




Edinburgh


0


0


3


1


1




Glenochil


0


0


0


0


0




Greenock


0


0


0


0


1




Inverness


0


0


0


0


0




Low Moss


0


1


0


0


0




Noranside


0


0


0


0


0




Perth


1


1


0


0


1




Peterhead


0


0


0


0


0




Polmont


0


0


0


0


0




Shotts


0


0


0


0


0




Total


4


4


5


1


5

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24972 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 May 2002, whether the archiving system of the Scottish Prison Service is adequate if records that have been archived are not readily available, detailing the reasons behind its response on the matter.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  SPS has no formal archive system. We keep such information as is necessary to run the business economically, efficiently and effectively and for audit purposes.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24972 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 May 2002, why sensitivity analysis for a real discount rate of 5% for the public sector comparator was supplied by PricewaterhouseCoopers in paragraph 2.2.4 of its Financial Review of the Scottish Prison Service Esates Review , but no equivalent sensitivity analysis was provided for a privately built and operated prison.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information is published in the table in paragraph 1.5.3 on page 8 of the report.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25026 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 May 2002, what the estimated cost of answering the question is.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Pricewaterhouse Coopers report explains why the information is not available:

  Para 4.2:

  It is clear that it is not possible to construct a detailed financial model of the PPP Private Build Public Operate model with the same degree of confidence in cost estimates as it is for the PPP Private Build Private Operate and PSC options because of the absence of any benchmark data. To have an equivalent level of certainty in such a model, there would need to be a fully worked up definition of how the model would be implemented, stating where the boundaries of risk transfer would lie, with assumptions regarding the private sector's response to the brief.

  Consequently, for the purpose of this initial assessment of the PPP Private Build Public Operate Option, PwC's approach has been:

  (a) to consider in conjunction with SPS the key issues of risk transfer and operational interface involved in implementing a PPP Private Build Public Operate Option and the implications of these for the definition of the PPP Private Build Public Operate Option and for its deliverability;

  (b) to undertake an outline financial assessment of the PPP Private Build Public Operate Option based upon scenario analysis of possible financial outturns relative to the PPP Private Build Private Operate and PSC options.

  Para 4.6.5:

  Unless the PPP Private Build Public Operate option is more fully specified it is not practicable to develop cost estimates which provide significantly more accuracy than the scenarios outlined above.'

  Accordingly, the requested calculation could not be meaningfully undertaken and would involve disproportionate cost.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25026 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 May 2002, how the obligation to secure best value can be fulfilled when it cannot compare the sensitivity analysis of the public sector comparator detailed in paragraph 2.2.4 of the PricewaterhouseCoopers Financial review of the Scottish Prison Service Estates Review with an equivalent model for a privately operated prison.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Pricewaterhouse Coopers report explains why the information is not available:

  Para 4.2:

  It is clear that it is not possible to construct a detailed financial model of the PPP Private Build Public Operate model with the same degree of confidence in cost estimates as it is for the PPP Private Build Private Operate and PSC options because of the absence of any benchmark data. To have an equivalent level of certainty in such a model, there would need to be a fully worked up definition of how the model would be implemented, stating where the boundaries of risk transfer would lie, with assumptions regarding the private sector's response to the brief.

  Consequently, for the purpose of this initial assessment of the PPP Private Build Public Operate Option, PwC's approach has been:

  (a) to consider in conjunction with SPS the key issues of risk transfer and operational interface involved in implementing a PPP Private Build Public Operate Option and the implications of these for the definition of the PPP Private Build Public Operate Option and for its deliverability;

  (b) to undertake an outline financial assessment of the PPP Private Build Public Operate Option based upon scenario analysis of possible financial outturns relative to the PPP Private Build Private Operate and PSC options.

  Para 4.6.5:

  Unless the PPP Private Build Public Operate option is more fully specified it is not practicable to develop cost estimates which provide significantly more accuracy than the scenarios outlined above.

  In addition, the report also concludes in para 4.6.5:

  However, the above analysis demonstrates that any PPP Private Build Public Operate model has a very substantial value for money gap to bridge compared with the PPP Private Build Private Operate option and also a requirement for major changes in the approach to prison operation and staff terms and conditions within SPS to reduce its costs significantly below the PSC. The lowest cost option, Scenario 4, which assumes the possibility of replacing completely the SPS requirements for a prison design together with a 20% reduction in operating costs, will still be significantly more expensive than a PPP Private Build Private Operate option.

  On that basis, the work carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers fulfils the obligation to secure best value.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-24974 and S1W-24975 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 May 2002, why the shared costs of the Scottish Prison Service headquarters and the Scottish Prison Service college added to the operating costs of the public sector comparator in the Financial Review of the Scottish Prison Service Estates Review cannot be separated.

Mr Jim Wallace: The costs are aggregated in the model used by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-24974 and S1W-24975 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 May 2002, how the shared costs of the Scottish Prison Service headquarters and the Scottish Prison Service college which were added to the operating costs of the public sector comparator in the Financial Review of the Scottish Prison Service Estates Review were calculated.

Mr Jim Wallace: The costs were calculated by reference to the relevant headquarters and college costs and allocated on the basis of estimated usage of the various support services.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24980 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 May 2002, why the shared costs of Scottish Prison Service headquarters and the Scottish Prison Service college have not been added to the cost of a privately built and operated prison.

Mr Jim Wallace: The privately built and operated prison would not utilise the headquarters and college support services included in the cost of the public sector prison models.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25025 by Mr Jim Wallace on 16 May 2002, whether it is under an obligation to follow HM Treasury guidance in the calculation of a public sector comparator for a Private Finance Initiative or Public Private Partnership project.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Yes.

Road Signs

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how prevalent the theft of road signs is and what steps are being taken to tackle it.

Dr Richard Simpson: The information requested on prevalence of theft of road signs is not held centrally. There is no national campaign to tackle this issue. Local crime prevention initiatives are a matter for the relevant Chief Constable.

Scottish Executive Consultation

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are used to inform local authorities of new burdens and responsibilities.

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are used to inform local authorities when new funding is made available.

Mr Andy Kerr: All local authorities are advised of new policy initiatives and funding allocations through circulars and guidance. Ministers consult COSLA before making any local government finance order.

Scottish Executive Consultation

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are used when it is required by statute to consult local authorities.

Mr Andy Kerr: Where we have a statutory duty to consult, including with local government, appropriate procedures are followed in each case.

Scottish Executive Staff

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many holders of practising certificates from the Law Society of Scotland are employed by or on secondment to the Executive.

Mr Andy Kerr: There are 527 lawyers employed or seconded to the Scottish Executive holding practising certificates awarded by the Law Society of Scotland. This figure includes 402 legal staff employed by the Crown Office and the Procurator Fiscal Service.

Scottish Executive Staff

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on what date Chessington Computer Centre's contract covering the payment of Executive staff wages and allowances began; on what date the contract was reviewed or re-awarded, and whether any date has been set to review these contractual arrangements in the future.

Mr Andy Kerr: The current payroll contract between the Scottish Executive and ADP Chessington commenced in April 1998. As with all contracts awarded by the Scottish Executive, they are subject to regular review to ensure best value is achieved. The present payroll contract runs until March 2003 with an option to extend for a further two years up until March 2005.

Scottish Executive Staff

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who provided administrative support for staff wages and allowances prior to the contract being awarded to Chessington Computer Centre and where information on these wages and allowances is currently being held.

Mr Andy Kerr: Prior to the current payroll contract being awarded to Chessington, administrative support for staff wages and allowances was provided by Scottish Office staff using Chessington's payroll system.

  Where still available, information about wages and allowances from that time is held on the payroll system.

Scottish Executive Staff

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25832 by Mr Andy Kerr on 21 May 2002, how many staff over the age of 60 have been employed on a year-by-year basis in each of the past five years, broken down by department or division.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive policy on extending the employment of staff who are aged 60 or over commenced on 1 August 2000. The information contained in the following table relates to staff who were employed under this policy. The policy is currently under review.

  Scottish Executive Staff Aged 60 or Over Retained on a Year-by-Year Basis, by Department

  


Department


Aug - Dec 2000


Jan - Dec 2001


Jan - Apr 2002




Total


10


32


8




Corporate Services


5


16


4




Development

 

3

 



Education

 

1


1




Enterprise and Lifelong Learning

 

1

 



Finance and Central Services


2


3

 



Health


2

 

1




Justice

 

1

 



Rural Affairs


1


7


2

Scottish Natural Heritage

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to relocate the headquarters of Scottish Natural Heritage.

Allan Wilson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22875 on 22 February 2002.

Sex Offenders

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the supervision costs associated with the cross-border transfer of registered sex offenders were in each of the past five years.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is not held centrally. The exercise of this supervision is a matter for local authorities in the first instance. Only in a small number of cases, where very high expenditure is being incurred because of the intensity of the supervision being provided or the nature of the residential placement, do authorities approach the Executive for supplementary funding to cover the additional costs.

Special Educational Needs

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-5174 by Cathy Jamieson on 9 May 2002, whether the funds for children and young people with special educational needs for 2002-03 and 2003-04 are ring-fenced and, if they are not ring-fenced, how it will monitor the use of the funding.

Cathy Jamieson: The £20 million of Inclusion Programme funding through the proposed National Priorities Action Fund is ring-fenced within the Social Justice strand of the fund in both 2002-03 and 2003-04. The £7.8 million for in-service training in special educational needs (SEN) for staff is also ring-fenced as Specific Grant in both 2002-03 and 2003-04.

  In addition, £5 million central government grant has been allocated through the SEN Innovation Grants Programme over 2002-03 and 2003-04, for the specific purpose of funding voluntary and non-statutory organisations across Scotland to carry out projects in the field of special educational needs.

  A further £8.8 million central government grant is allocated to the seven grant-aided special schools for 2002-03, for the specific purpose of supporting these schools, and is provided under the Special Schools (Scotland) Grant Regulations 1990.

Young Offenders

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to provide secure accommodation in the Scottish Borders For young offenders, given an estimated required provision of five to six places and a lack of currently available provision.

Cathy Jamieson: The Secure Accommodation Advisory Group has provided a report on the availability and use of secure accommodation. I am considering the report's findings and will make an announcement on this shortly. However, in order to assist in the better strategic management of the secure estate, local authorities were asked in September 2001 to provide an estimate of their need for secure places. Borders Council indicated that their need for secure accommodation was steady annually, at one place and this need was being met.

Young Offenders

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it is giving to monitoring the incidence and nature of offending by young offenders during school hours.

Cathy Jamieson: All local authorities have been asked to submit youth justice action plans to the Scottish Executive outlining the nature of offending in the area and what measures are being put in place to address this.

  The timing and circumstances of offending is an important factor to be taken account of in putting programs in place at local level.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Gaelic

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Presiding Officer how the Parliament will develop its commitment to Gaelic and what support the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will give to the Parliament's Gaelic Officer to ensure that this commitment is fulfilled.

Sir David Steel: The Parliament's Gaelic Service will be discussed by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body shortly, in the context of the Parliament's policy on languages generally. I will write to let you know the outcome after that meeting.